


Electro-Synchronization

by JayeMover_16



Series: Electro-Synchronization [1]
Category: Cytus (Video Games), 新幹線変形ロボ シンカリオン | Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion (Anime), 映像研には手を出すな! | Eizouken ni wa Te wo Dasu na! | Keep Your Hands off Eizoken! (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chatting & Messaging, Cytus II Spoilers, Freeform, Gen, Mild Gore, Sort of at least, Swearing, character tags will be added as they apper, screw canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 8,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27501241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayeMover_16/pseuds/JayeMover_16
Summary: 700 years in the future, after humanity was almost wiped out, the remnants of the Old Age - and what destroyed it - still stand.Major spoilers for all three series involved in this work. Basic knowledge of all three is required to understand what's going on.
Series: Electro-Synchronization [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2045872
Kudos: 2





	1. Work Summary & Basic Info

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The work summary that I was using before was visually unappealing, so I put it here. I also elaborated on parts here and there. this is also a place for basic info/worldbuilding that needs to be in place. I highly suggest that you do some basic "research" on the three series that I've mashed together. Major spoilers for all three lie ahead.

Hundreds of years ago, 80% of the human population on the surface of the Earth was wiped out. The remaining 20% were moved into bunkers and were reborn into a world of technology. In the event of a similar disaster, researchers created human imitations in an attempt to repopulate the surface once more. After realizing that there was no working way to rebuild, the androids were used for that purpose until they suddenly disappeared 250 years later.

At the same time, another race of humanoids had fled to the underground. The sudden drop in their own population was a major cause for concern, and with humans planning to take back the entire surface world, they would not have very much time to make a choice. To fight or to integrate, those were the options. Using their own technology, they accessed the networks that the humans were using to rebuild. There, they discovered a series of 100 humanlike androids. These androids did not like their creators' intent and wished to integrate themselves into human society. Having the same end goal, the Kitoralsus and the Architects merged.

The year is N.A. 700. Human society is celebrating the turn of a century. The Kitoralsus have finally had a rise in their dwindling population. The Architects are still working on recovering lost androids. A rising musician by the name of Æsir has gained sudden popularity with their debut song. A vigilante gang in Node 4 was featured on the news just days before the new year.

All is calm. For now.

### 

-Takes place in Japan  
-No Node system, except for in Kyushu (Divided into 4 nodes; North to South)  
-CYTUS is an online network that hosts iM; Like an MMO in parts  
-iM posts can contain videos, audio, or just text (as seen in Cytus 2)  
-The black particles can work with CYTUS (and the internet as a whole)  
-CYTUS can be accessed through an AR (augmented reality) headset or through the implant behind the ear  
-The Kitoralsus (or any user of the black particles) don't need the headset or implant to access CYTUS  
-The term "OPCI unit" is used for the physical body (decommissioned only)  
-The term "Architect" is used for the A.I.-based OPCI Units; The term "Operator" is used for OPCI units containing a "human" consciousness  
-Shibahama is located in Node 4  
-Node system is fluid; changes every few years, but the general areas stay the same  
-Node system -> https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1-E5-Ur5ysulhQUhPIpxRaW40XcAkZ3HBfJ0CReggHzE/edit?usp=sharing


	2. Alleyway Encounter (Prologue Pt. 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shinobu's first encounter with a vigilante gang.

Tsukiyama Shinobu was running from a security drone. He didn't know _why_ the drone was chasing him, but now wasn't the time to think about it.

The sound of the drone readying a laser was enough to trigger his reflexes. He made a hard right into another alleyway. **_Zap!_**

The laser hit a garbage can instead of the 10-year-old kid it was aiming for. He would have considered it a short victory if it weren't for the fact that he had charged headfirst into a dead end. His momentum carried him straight into the brick wall at the end of the short alley.

The last thing he heard before blacking out was the sound of a machine gun.

### 

When Shinobu came to, the first thing he saw was a white-haired girl standing over him. She offered him the end of her sheathed sword, which he accepted. After helping him get back on his feet, he looked around. There was another person, their face covered with a welder's mask, holding a machine gun. He noticed that both of them were wearing those virtual headphone things.

"The hell you doing, bein' chased by a damn security drone!?" the white-haired girl asked.

"I don't know," Shinobu replied. Gods, he _hated_ talking! But he had to. There was nothing he could do about it. He had to talk sometimes.

"The hell's wrong with these drones, then?" the girl kicked the dead shell of a drone.

"I'm not sure, but I've already reported the incident. The security department will look into this and troubleshoot the A.I.," the person with the welder's mask typed away on a virtual keyboard.

Shinobu didn't really like this level of technology. You shouldn't put A.I. in control of things people could do just fine. The holographic screens were fine, but armed security drones? No way.

"Who are you?" he mustered up the courage to ask. The girl just laughed.

"You can call me Sparrowling, and this hellion here is NightmareHawk," 'Sparrowling' flipped up his mask.

"...What's a hellion?"

"Something that I am NOT," 'NightmareHawk' glared at her accomplice.

"Go google it," Sparrowling chuckled as a text notification took his attention.

"Is that NetWalkerIbis?" NightmareHawk asked, her head turning graciously to one side.

"Yep. We'd better go before he hunts us down," Sparrowling joked. The two saluted goodbye, riding away on Sparrowling's motorcycle.

Shinobu had noticed something. All three usernames had the name of a bird in them. That had to mean something. Then again, it was probably something he shouldn't get involved in. He decided to head back to the dormitory.

Just as he stepped out of the alleyway, a large raindrop fell on his head. Great, it was raining. His mood soured further as he trudged back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, did I hate the original first chapter or what? It didn't flow at all. This one is much better.


	3. Welcome to CYTUS (Prologue Pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain YouTuber's adventure into the virtual world that is CYTUS.

"Azusa? Remember to be back before dinner!"

"I will, mom! Don't worry!" Ueda Azusa called back into her apartment.

"Just checking, sweetie! Have a great time!"

"See you later!" Azusa closed the front door behind her. She booted up her headset and watches as the scenery changed before her eyes. The augmented reality CYTUS headsets gave a second life to over 70% of the population.

#### Welcome to CYTUS!

Looking around, she noticed the sheer number of holographic posters for a collaboration concert. "PAFF X Super Spice," they read. She walked up to one of them when the information changed. There were 4 concert locations, and one of them was in Odaiba.

"Perfect! I can record another video there!" she said to herself.

"You a puff, too?" a passerby asked.

"Actually, I'm a fan of Super Spice. I don't really follow PAFF, but some of her songs are pretty good!" she replied.

"Ah, I see. Don't you think that NEKO's songs would work better with Super Spice's music?"

"I think the contrast works well. If both artists have the same type of music, it gets a little boring."

"That's true." the passerby smiled and left. Azusa was left to plan out what her video was going to be. She had a few weeks until the concert, but planning was key.

After a few minutes, she got a text notification from Hayato. He was asking if she knew where Tsuranuki was. 'Nope, sorry,' she replied. Another notification popped up. NEKO was streaming in 30 minutes. Azusa left the poster behind and looked for a cafe. She wouldn't want to miss this stream. She ducked into the cafe just as it began to rain.

The stream chat was crazy, as usual.

NEKOSAIKOU: ~~NEKO marry me~~ **[THIS USER HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY BANNED]**  
Crimson_0: What's today's game?  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: We're playing the ever-popular E5 Hayabusa Simulator!  
AzusaPaPa: I've heard of that one! Some of my school friends play it!  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: Good because I have no idea how it works lol  
NightmareHawk: NEKO u don't know this game what  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: Nope also where's your bf  
NightmareHawk: What bf  
AzusaPaPa: lol  
Crimson_0: When u gonna start  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: Right now!

NEKO played the E5 Sim for a while and got a decent score. She scored 5th on the scoreboard, underneath Azusa's friends' scores.

NEKO#ΦωΦ: What's the CR thing?  
AzusaPaPa: IDK  
NightmareHawk: completion rate???  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: Probably  
Crimson_0: I ranked only 12th lol  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: Everyone go play the game it's free  
AzusaPaPa: If I get a higher score than Neko she has to sub to me on YT  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: Deal  
NightmareHawk: If I get a higher score than both of you you both sub to me  
AzusaPaPa: deal  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: I got a cr of 62.8% what did you all get  
Crimson_0: 33%  
AzusaPaPa: 76%  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: What no fair  
AzusaPaPa: haha go sub  
NighmareHawk: 100%  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: WTH NO WAY  
NEKOSAIKOU: What how  
Crimson_0: I'm sad now  
Xenon: I got 69% nice  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: Hi Xenon!  
Xenon: Hi just finished a concert  
Xenon: NEKO Azusa go sub to Night  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: I already am lol  
AzusaPaPa: Woo this was fun  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: I'll see everyone next stream then!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, these chapters with the sudden rain take place in between the Shinkalion anime episodes 10 and 11. This entire series happens after the Eizouken anime. The cyTus timeline doesn't exactly exist, but Æsir does. What I'm trying to say is that cyTus canon is very different from this story's canon. You'll see in later chapters.


	4. Broadcasted Rock Concert (Prologue Pt. 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xenon has a live rock concert, and someone gets in trouble.

Daimonyama Tsuranuki had snuck out of his chores for what he thought was a good reason. Xenon was having a concert broadcasted live to every music venue in Tokyo! Normally you could only find them recorded online. Tsuranuki had never been to one of Xenon's live concerts since they were all in the USA. Thus, he had boarded the train and headed to Tokyo proper. There were a lot of music venues in Japan but finding one that would allow kids was a challenge. Tsuranuki was only 11, so that ruled out at least half of the music venues in Tokyo. There was one near Tokyo station, in Marunouchi Plaza. He had been to that one before, but it was far. Seeing as he couldn't find any other options, he went there.

"You here for Xenon's concert?" one of the venue staff asked Tsuranuki.

"Absolutely!" Tsuranuki smiled. He put on his CYTUS headset and stepped inside. There were at least 30 other people inside. On the stage in front was a projection of Xenon and some hired musicians to help out.

The concert started a few minutes later and lasted for an hour. Xenon even did a short Q&A on iM afterward.

Xenon: Q&A OPEN!  
Harpy_5656: U go to a bar what u gettin  
Xenon: Milk  
Minceraft: better than liver decay  
Xenon: Exactly!  
Minceraft: s u c c  
MirageXX: ^^^^^  
regalrollss: relationship status  
Xenon: I'd rather not talk about that...  
Minceraft: understandable have a nice day  
Minceraft: also have you played that E5 Hayabusa sim yet  
Xenon: Not quite. NEKO is doing a stream later, and she'll be playing it! I'm going to see if it's any good first.  
Minceraft: post ur score then  
Xenon: Will do!

With the concert and Q&A over, Tsuranuki headed for the train station. Outside the venue, there was a multitude of people complaining about the sudden downpour. The station was only a few meters away, so the rain wasn't as bad as Tsuranuki had thought.

On the train, he had been invited to a randomized group chat. He had been screwing around with the chat and almost missed his station. The dormitory was a short walk, but that didn't stop him from getting absolutely drenched.

Tsuranuki snuck in the door, hoping nobody was inside. To his favor (and surprise), nobody was there but Shinobu. He was also drenched and was sitting on the couch with a towel on his shoulders.

"Hey, Shinobu," Tsuranuki said after a few moments.

"Hi," the ninja-in-training replied.

"I was wondering where you two were," Commander Izumi Shinpei said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we know the whereabouts of Tsuranuki.


	5. Beam Rifle Sports (Prologue Pt. 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akita continues his beam rifle training.

10\. 7. 9. 10. 8. 8. 10. 9. 5.

Akita sighed as he looked at his missed shot. He decided he should take a break anyway. Sitting down, he placed his trusty beam rifle on his lap and pulled out his phone. He had received a text from Commander Izumi asking if he knew where Tsuranuki was. He didn't. He rarely did. One minute, Tsuranuki was standing next to Akita. Then, less than a second later, he would be out of sight completely. He decided to ask Hayato.

Akita: @Hayato

Hayato: Yessir

Akita: Where's Tsuranuki?

Hayato: IDK

Shinobu: He was supposed to be doing chores.

Akita: That makes sense. He'd never want to do them.

Hayato: Wasnt there a Xenon concert or something in Tokyo

Akita: He would probably be there.  
Akita: I have an idea. Go ask Azusa. Maybe she knows.

The rifle boy went offline before he was asked any questions. He wanted a moment to clear his mind and relax. Practicing his beam rifle skills was supposed to be relaxing, but recently, it wasn't. He pulled up one of ConneR's albums and put in his earbuds. The mix of classical and electronic was mesmerizing. At one point, Akita had even wanted to give up on being a beam rifle sportsman and play the violin instead. He still remembered how to play, but was wildly out of practice. Maybe he'd take it back up sometime.

After a few songs played through, he stood up and took his earbuds out. It was raining outside. He didn't give up beam rifle sports for his favorite music producer. He shouldn't give up at all. He kept practicing until it was almost sunset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, I really don't know how to write lol!


	6. Group Chat (Prologue Pt. 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> iM's group chat randomizer makes an interesting combination.

The iM SNS system had a randomizer function. Everyone knew about it but nobody really tried it. Asakusa Midori decided to change that.

_**Tanuki_Girl** , **LivingEpilepsyTrigger** , **Minceraft** , **AstroBoy** , and **ROBO_Head** have been added to the chat._

Tanuki_Girl: iM randomizer go

Minceraft: e

LivingEpilepsyTrigger: What would happen if you deep-fried bonito flakes

Tanuki_Girl: What a question

AstroBoy: What is this?

Minceraft: holy shit its ROBO

ROBO_Head: Hello!  
ROBO_Head: If you were to deep-fry bonito flakes, they would not be any different than other deep-fried foods. Bonito flakes have no moisture.

LivingEpilepsyTrigger: Thanks ROBO

ROBO_Head: No problem!

Tanuki_Girl: I thought they might disintegrate but apparently not???

_**AstroBoy** has changed **ROBO_Head** to **Carrot**_

Carrot: This unit is confused.

AstroBoy: Robo means carrot in Chinese

Carrot: Ah, I see.

_**Minceraft** has changed **LivingEplilepsyTrigger** to **LSD**_

Carrot: That name is inappropriate and will result in a ban if left unchanged.

Minceraft: fine

_**Tanuki_Girl** has changed **LSD** to **StrobeLight**_

StrobeLight: w h a t why is my name that

Tanuki_Girl: BC strobe lights are epilepsy triggers???

StrobeLight: No why was my name still LivingEpilepsyTrigger

_**Strobelight** has changed their name to **yahaha**_

yahaha: There we go

Minceraft: is that a botw reference

yahaha: Yes it is

Tanuki_Girl: Why was it changed

yahaha: A friend of mine was kinda drunk

Minceraft: oof

AstroBoy: Does he have epilepsy?

yahaha: *She and no

AstroBoy: Mb mb

Minceraft: then why the name

yahaha: IDK I was probably drunk too

Tanuki_Girl: oof lol  
Tanuki_Girl: I might add more people to the chat

Minceraft: plz do

Tanuki_Girl: Oh wait the randomizer only works to start a group chat

yahaha: Carrot help us

Carrot: Will do! How many people?

Minceraft: t e n

Carrot: Unidentifiable number.

Tanuki_Girl: 4

_**x** , **Lightning_McMeme** , **Dorime** , and **xX_MelaiaWolf_Xx** have been added to the chat._

x: what

Dorime: bow down and p r a y

Minceraft: over my dead body

_**xX_MelaiaWolf_Xx** has left the chat_

yahaha: Well then

_**Dorime** has changed **x** to **CReativeUsername**_

_**CReativeUsername** has changed their name to **RaviolisGaleioli**_

yahaha: Nice

RaviolisGaleioli: Give me a damn korok seed

yahaha: No

Dorime: ravioli's galeioli is now ready

Tanuki_Girl: his palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, there's vomit on his sweater already

Minceraft: REVALI'S GALE IS NOW READY

RaviolisGaleioli: Hey that's my line

yahaha: The only time he capitalizes anything is when he memes

Lightning_McMeme: did someone say MEMES

yahaha: Yes I did read the chat

Minceraft: oh shit

Dorime: what

Minceraft: i almsost missed my station lol

yahaha: That's not good

Minceraft: ok cya

Dorime: cya dude

yahaha: OK bye then

Ravioli'sGaleioli: I'll hang out for a while

Tanuki_Girl: same

Minceraft: bye lol i hope i don't get grounded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ROBO_Head is more humanlike now because why not. Also, I took the 'ROBO's nickname being Carrot' from a cyTus II chat fic. I'll link it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25225540/chapters/61144594


	7. The Underground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of the Architects finds a possible location for their lost comrade.

"Hey, Lily? What's going on?"

"Working on one of my side projects. Why?"

"It sounded like something exploded."

"Don't worry, Suzaku! I know what I'm doing!"

"I hope you do."

Lily (OPCI_LI) was an engineer-in-training. Iza had promised her a job as an engineer 2 years ago, and she had been training ever since. The Kitoralsus didn't see the Architects as any different than them. Iza was no different.

"Oh, Suzaku? Ivy was looking for you earlier. Something about Vanessa, I think," Lily looked up from her desk, which was covered in spare parts.

"I'll go find her, then," Suzaku brushed her blonde bangs out of her face before leaving.

Suzaku found Ivy (OPCI_IV) plugged into the CYTUS platform through a headset Lily had made. She was with Xian (OPCI_XI), a very _enthusiastic_ CYTUS user.

"So, didja find her?" Xian asked, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I'm still trying to get into the security system," Ivy replied.

"Ivy? You wanted to see me?" Suzaku tapped on Ivy's shoulder.

"Yes, I did. I think I may have found Vanessa. I'm getting signals from the CYTUS mainframe that can only belong to another Architect. It could be another lost Architect, but I am positive this is Vanessa," Ivy said without stopping her work.

"So, you're looking through the security system? Instead of following the signal?"

"It wasn't _that_ kind of signal. It was someone's voice! Ivy thinks Vanessa is somewhere in the CYTUS main building," Xian explained.

"And you're looking through the security system?"

"I haven't been able to get in," Ivy finally took off the bulky headset.

"Seiryu is much more experienced with coding. Why not ask him to help?" Suzaku suggested.

"I haven't been able to contact him. It's been a while since I've seen him around here," the unit sighed.

"I'll find him myself, then. Oh, and don't forget to tell Byakko. He'll want to know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get a look at what life is like for the Kitoralsus and the Architects! I'm manipulating canon to be better for my storyline, so sorry if that's not your thing.


	8. CYTUS Mobile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A certain Kitoralsus agent has an interesting day.

Genbu had just finished another short performance at an open theater. The audience has mostly left, and the other actors were getting ready to go home. He had nothing else planned for the day, so he hung out and helped the janitor. The radio that one of the actors always had on was playing one of PAFF's albums. It was a perfectly normal day. And then it wasn't.

Two pairs of footsteps slowly emerged from the sound of the pouring rain. It was a familiar sound since there was a school a few blocks down the road. What _wasn't_ a familiar sound was the voice of one of the 100 Architects.

"Hey! Genbu!"

Genbu barely had time to look up before having a wet raincoat thrown on him.

"Daito," he handed back the Architect's jacket.

"I wanted to meet you here, so I did!" Daito (OPCI_XIX) draped his jacket over his shoulders. Seiryu appeared behind him soon after.

"Um," Seiryu tugged on his raincoat hood nervously. It had been raining consistently since the afternoon of the day before. Fortunately, the theater was covered with a metal roof. The only problem was that it was _overwhelmingly loud_. So loud, in fact, that you couldn't hear a conversation on the other side of the stage anymore.

"Are these two your kids or something?" one of the other actors joked.

"Not quite," Genbu responded.

"I wish I was," Daito slumped over comically. The other actor laughed and put away the broom they were using.

"And what about you?" they looked at Seiryu.

"No comment."

"Really? Do you not like him?"

"I said no comment."

"Alright, fine," they threw up their arms in defeat.

"I wanna see backstage!" Daito bounced up and down.

"Sure!" the actor brought Daito backstage. Seiryu sat down on one of the benches in the audience section, content with just being around Genbu.

Only a few minutes had passed before a kid walked into the theater and sat down at one of the benches near the entrance. They took a tablet out of their backpack and played what looked like a rhythm game for a while. Seiryu looked interested in what the kid was doing. At this point, Genbu had fallen asleep from doing nothing but sitting on the bench. Having nobody else to talk to, Seiryu walked over to the kid and sat down next to them.

"I'm not looking for a friend," the kid said. Seiryu looked over their (her?) shoulder to see the screen better.

"I just wanted to see what you were doing," Seiryu shrugged.

On the screen was the kid's score. In the center were a yellow M and a TP of 93.12%.

"...Can I try?" the young kitoralsus asked.

"Sure, I guess," the kid handed Seiryu their tablet, pulling down their headphones simultaneously.

Seiryu chose the same song the kid (probably a girl) was playing. The game was surprisingly easy despite him never having played a rhythm game before. The girl even explained what the different notes were. He ended with a score just below hers.

"You're pretty good at this game, surprisingly," the girl took back her tablet.

"What makes you think I wouldn't be?"

"You've apparently never played a rhythm game before."

"...Beginner's luck?" Seiryu shrugged.

"Has to be," she moved a lock of her purple hair out of her face.

"...What's it called? This game?"

"It's the CYTUS mobile game. I'm surprised you don't know about it."

"Um," he pulled his raincoat hood further down, covering half his face.

"Well, I probably should be going now. Do you live around here? I've never seen you before."

"I'm... visiting from Kyushu."

"That makes sense. How long are you going to be out here?"

"I'm not actually sure."

"Well, I'll stop by the next time they have a performance. See ya," the girl stood up and walked away.

"Um, bye," Seiryu waved but put his hand down quickly when the girl didn't turn around again. After a few moments, he got up and sat next to Genbu again.

"This place is pretty cool," Daito said as he left the backstage area.

"Come by earlier next time! You'll see our acting!"

"Will do! Hey, Seiryu? Why didn't you come backstage with us?"

"Didn't feel like it," he responded.

"Were you really sitting there this whole time?"

"I wasn't," he said defiantly.

"Then what were you doing?" Daito plopped down next to Seiryu, ever-so-slightly waking up Genbu.

"I'm not telling you that," Seiryu folded his arms in annoyance.

"Aw, come on! Tell me later, then!" Daito elbowed his friend.

"We should be heading home," Genbu muttered, still half-asleep.

"OK!" Daito stood up a bit too rapidly. Genbu took his umbrella and the three left the theater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You should be able to guess who the girl is. It's really not that hard.


	9. Working Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakko and Ivy have a short talk, and Lily gets a promotion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sign language is in italics within quotation marks. " _Like this._ "

"Have you seen Seiryu around here, Byakko?" Ivy asked.

"No," Byakko's voice was unnaturally airy and soft. It was like his attempts at singing - hard to hear.

"...Are you alright? If it helps, I have a bit of news to share."

"What's the news?"

"I think I know where Vanessa is."

Byakko's head snapped to face Ivy. His usually dull and almost lifeless eyes were wide with surprise.

"Where?" his voice had more feeling in it.

"I'm led to believe she is in the CYTUS mainframe. I have no way of knowing for sure that it's her, but I am confident."

"Then let's go find her-"

"We can't. I don't even know where she is. The mainframe is a building larger than Shikoku. We would need to find where she is and make a plan to get inside. That's why I was looking for Seiryu," Ivy cut off his words.

"I think he left with Genbu and Daito earlier. They should be back soon."

"If you see them, tell them that I need to speak with Seiryu," Ivy turned and left. Byakko pulled out a digital keyboard and played a few notes.

### 

"Hey! You boys should be more careful with that! It took a whole 3 months to get it to work!" Lily barked.

"But it's fucking HEAVY," Zack (OPCI_XIV) complained.

"Watch your language," Richard (OPCI_VII) said, his voice as monotonous as ever.

Inasa and Richard were helping to move some of Lily's completed projects from her (ware)house to the engineering wing. Iza had declared that Lily was more than fit to be a Junior Engineer. Lily had obviously been very excited. All the ruckus of moving stuff around had attracted the attention of one of the other Architects.

" _What are you doing?_ " Keigo signed after tapping Lily on the shoulder.

"We're moving my stuff to the engineering wing," Lily replied. She patted Keigo on the shoulder and went back to instructing Zack and Richard on how to move her stuff.

Keigo (OPCI_XII) was mute. Nobody knew why or how. He didn't seem to mind it, however. He learned sign language so he could "speak" to everyone else.

"These look amazing! You're gonna blow Iza's socks off!" Daito exclaimed suddenly.

"Gah! Stop surprising me like that!" Lily whirled around.

"Uh, sorry. We just got back," he motioned to where he had just come from.

"You really don't make any sound at all when you move, do you?"

"Apparently not?" Daito shrugged.

"At least it's not as bad as Genbu randomly showing up."

"Yeah. I swear he's doing it on purpose. I've asked him, but he won't answer."

"Of course, he wouldn't ever answer that out loud," Lily sighed as she packed some of her smaller inventions in a box.

"Do you need some help?" he asked.

"As much as possible. I have a lot of stuff to move. Oh, and did you hear? Ivy said she found another Architect!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I realize I haven't written anything about the Eizouken yet. That will be very soon. Also, I HAVE TO WRITE OUT 100 NAMES FOR THE ARCHITECTS. This is going to take a while. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in a comment.


	10. Animation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at what Shibahama High School is doing.

"Asakusa-san! Look at how many views our video got!" Mizusaki Tsubame called from the entrance of the club building.

"I know! Isn't it amazing? People are really interested in our work! We'll have to work hard to meet their expectations!" Asakusa Midori exclaimed.

"What should we make next? There are so many possibilities..."

"...Did you hear about the monster sightings recently? There was one in Chuetsu! It was this giant fire demon!"

"There were some starfish-like ones, too!"

"You should use 3D animation this time. It would be much faster than drawing something frame-by-frame," Kanamori Sayaka monotoned. The other two club members looked up, surprised.

"3D animation? Really? Wouldn't making the models take a long time?" Tsubame asked.

"Once you have the models, it should take less time," Sayaka explained.

"Huh. That makes sense. Let's see if there's any good 3D animation software." Tsubame pulled out their phone and began her research.

"Just use Blender. It's free, and I've seen some amazing animations using it," Midori pulled up a digital screen and played a short video.

"I was thinking more along the lines of that HyperDrive thing. You know, the one that's supported by CYTUS?"

"That would absolutely work! Let's try it out!" Midori and Tsubame rushed to one of the computers.

Sayaka watched as they constructed one of the monsters from the sightings. They started with the starfish-like ones to test out the modeling software. They didn't have proper source material, so Midori put her own twist on the final product.

"Ta-da! Our completed Shuriken Starfish! Good enough to be a real species, right?" Midori proudly presented her work.

"It actually looks good. Try making something from scratch this time. I'm going home for today, so I'll check back in on you once school starts again," Sayaka slid the front door behind her.

"Hmmm... Something from scratch..." Midori looked through her sketchbook for inspiration. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Let's make one that looks like a Wendigo!" she declared.

"What's a Wendigo?" Tsubame asked, thoroughly confused.

"It's a mythical creature that comes from North America! Here, I'll show you," Midori said. She pulled up some art of a Wendigo and presented it to Tsubame.

The drawing depicted a creature with the body of a werewolf and the feet of an elk. The hands and arms were eerily humanlike, and the head was an exposed elk skull. The antlers were still attached, and the eyes glowed red from beneath the skull. The creature had fangs on the inside of its jaw, which was fully exposed due to the lack of skin. The body was lean and skinny, with the ribs almost showing. The arms were long and thin, having little to no muscle on them. The legs were no different than the arms, just longer. The hands were covered in dried-out blood, presumably from its past victims.

"That's a Wendigo? They're scary enough already!" Tsubame exclaimed. Midori studied the drawing intently.

"We don't have to make it a machine. We'll model it as an animal, with some design tweaks. The antlers look way too large, for one thing."

"I hope you're good at horror, Asakusa-san."

"Trust me, I am," Midori turned and began to sketch out a storyline.


	11. Group Chat Part 2 Electric Boogaloo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The randomized chat continues to destroy people's brain cells.

_**Tanuki_Girl** has changed the group name to **iM Randomizer Exists** _

yahaha: Uh

Tanuki_Girl: you think of a better one then

_**yahaha** has changed the group name to **Tumblr but not Tumblr** _

yahaha: Beat that

Minceraft: how about Discord 2.0

_**Tanuki_Girl** has changed the group name to **Discord 2.0** _

Minceraft: yeet

yahaha: What

Dorime: ITS PERFECT

Minceraft: ur welcome

yahaha: I refuse to comment on this

Minceraft ok then moving on

Dorime: https://me.me/i/automatic-toilets-when-i-take-a-shit-i-sleep-automatic-0b37e57de46e41c1bf4d582ebdd1f2d1

yahaha: Deep-fried more like low-res

Tanuki_Girl: If I had one dollar for each pixel in the deep-fried part I'd have 15 cents

Carrot: Actually, this picture has 261500 pixels in total.

yahaha: That's a lot of money

Dorime: If I had a dollar for every ounce of rage I felt just now I'd have enough to buy a cannon to fire at both of you

RaviolisGaleioli: That's $2,615  
RaviolisGaleioli: You could buy a lot of things with that kind of money

Minceraft: If I had $2,615 I'd buy an apply juice

Carrot: You would have $261,500 because it's one dollar for every pixel, not one cent for every pixel.

RaviolisGaleioli: You could buy a house with $261,500

Minceraft: yeah and I want an apply juice

yahaha: Get me a diet coke while you're at it

RaviolisGaleioli: Apply the juice to what

Tanuki_Girl: Directly to the forehead

Dorime: Great post guys I'm sending this screenshot to reddit

AstroBoy: What in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh, yeah. More group chat stuff to postpone the next actual update. I don't know, this group chat stuff is fun to do! Also, here's the link to the referenced Tumblr post: https://hallownest-texts.tumblr.com/post/186203052899


	12. Hacker's Delight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seiryu's skill is finally put to use.

Ivy had found Seiryu showing Genbu about the CYTUS mobile game that came out recently. She had managed to pry him away from the game to talk.

"I need you to hack into the CYTUS mainframe security cameras. Is that something you can do for me?"

"I can do that. Why, though? Is there something you need to find?" Seiryu asked.

"I received a signal from an Architect. I believe that it's Vanessa, but it could be any of the lost Architects."

"Did you tell Byakko?"

"Yes, earlier today. I'll keep him notified on our progress."

"Right now?" Seiryu asked after a moment.

"If possible, yes. Vanessa's emotional state is extremely unstable. It would be favorable if we located her as soon as possible."

"Alright. Give me a few minutes to set up, and I'll see if it's really her."

It was a long while until Seiryu had gotten into the CYTUS mainframe security system. Flipping through all the cameras showed no sign of any Architect. It was only until they saw the library camera that Vanessa had appeared.

"She's in the library. That was where I had seen her before. I'm surprised nobody has found her yet," Ivy relaxed.

"Not so fast. There's movement just outside the door," Seiryu pulled up another window so they could see both cameras at the same time.

"They didn't go inside, though."

"They gestured towards the library. They're definitely aware she's in there."

"Either way, she's fine. Now that I know that she's still connected through a cable, I can try to communicate with her."

"I'm going to keep the cameras up, just in case."

"Tell me if you see anything important. I'm going to collect more emotion samples for her."

"Emotion samples?"

"Vanessa is only half-awakened. Emotion samples are like seeds. You plant the emotion samples into her mainframe, and they help her grow emotionally," Ivy explained.

"How are you going to get emotion samples?" Seiryu leaned back in his chair.

"Through music."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided that episode 11 doesn't exist in this timeline. Genbu just goes and fights on an absolute whim. Also, the group chat is a stand-in for cyTus 2's iM system.


	13. Æsir-FEST Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The collective past comes to haunt.

"Genbu?" Byakko looked around the cluttered warehouse, almost tripping over an empty box.

"...Hm?" Genbu was sitting atop one of the many metal storage units. He had a digital window open, but Byakko couldn't see what was on it.

"Ivy said she found where Vanessa is."

"I heard."

"Really? Daito said you came right here almost immediately."

"Xian is loud."

"That makes sense. What are you doing?"

"Looking through old audio files."

"Find anything interesting?"

"Not yet." That was a lie. There were multiple audio files Genbu didn't remember recording at all. Most were music clips, and there was one huge file he didn't want to open, but it was the casual conversations that caught his attention. Him, Byakko, Ivy, and Vanessa were in all of them, with Suzaku and others occasionally asking what was going on. Listening to any of the audio files gave him a headache.

"Tell me if you do find something interesting," Byakko waved as he left.

"I will." Genbu decided to do something to take his mind off of the mysterious audio files. A good fight should work, but a good fight needs preparation. Thus, preparation was what Genbu needed to do.

### 

Hayasugi Hayato was chatting with his dad on iM. He and the rest of the Hayasugi family were going to visit him the next day. Hayato's dad had moved to Kyoto for work, and this would be the first time in a while that they would be able to see each other in person. And Hayato, being overly enthusiastic about the shinkansen, was already planning on seeing as much of the Kyoto Railway Museum as possible in one day. His father was trying to talk to him about other things in Kyoto, but nothing stuck. It was a typical chat conversation between the two of them.

"I'm home," It was Hakura, Hayato's younger sister. She had left to take a walk earlier in the day.

"That was a long walk," Hayato's mom commented.

"I stopped at a place on the way."

"I'm chatting with dad right now!" Hayato waved over his sister rapidly.

"Alright," Hakura said as she sat down on the couch next to her brother. The three conversed for a while before their dad had to leave.

Hayato was hogging the couch since there was a documentary about Japan's bullet trains playing on TV. Hakura left for her room and turned on her computer, planning on doing more research on Æsir-FEST. Æsir-FEST was one of the most controversial music festivals in the history of the internet. Paff, NEKO#ΦωΦ, and ROBO_Head all showed up since they were invited by the only Æsir. However, Æsir himself didn't show up at all. When people tried to remember Æsir-FEST, they had headaches or got dizzy. Hakura herself attended virtually, so she could vouch for the symptoms. Nobody except ROBO_Head and possibly a few others were actively trying to find out what happened.

Hakura pulled up the video she had recorded from the concert. She had been recording it for Azusa, who had been accidentally banned from the concert. Hakura had caught the part of the concert that nobody remembered. The first few moments, at least. The recording caught a figure that she presumed to be Æsir standing behind the DJ stand. It wasn't long before Hakura began getting dizzy from the recording. After resting for a minute, she had a realization. Hayato probably didn't attend the concert. He could watch the footage without any problems. He could help.

Hayato could help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Shinkalion don't play an important role until a bit later in the story. Hakura has a much bigger role in return. Also, I'm planning on making the group chat a separate fic that has little to nothing to do with this story. There will still be group chat chapters in this fic, but they're going to be more plot-related. Prepare for lots of inside jokes.


	14. Train Hack

Today was the day that the Hayasugi family would be reunited again. Today was the day that Hakura would know how Æsir-FEST actually went. Most importantly, today was the day that Hayasugi Sakura would see if her assumptions about her husband were right.

"Hakura? Have you picked out your bento yet?"

"Mhm," Hakura responded monotonously.

"Good. We're going soon," her mother patted her on the shoulder. The trio headed off to the boarding station.

"...Hey, Hayato?"

"Yeah?" Hayato turned around with his perpetual smile plastered onto his face.

"Did you attend Æsir-FEST at all?"

"What's that?"

"I'm going to guess that's a no. There's a video I want you to watch on the train."

"Alright, but why?" he adjusted his backpack.

"Æsir-FEST is something almost all attendees don't remember the ending of. There was someone there on the stage, but only ROBO_Head is trying to receive the corrupted data."

"Are you trying?"

"Yeah. I recorded the concert for Azusa. You didn't attend, so you should be unaffected."

"Unaffected by what, exactly?"

"When people try to remember Æsir-FEST, they get a headache."

"...Oh. I'll see what I can do," Hakura's brother said as a look of determination replaced his smile.

As the Hayasugi family were heading to their seats, there was a sudden murmuring amidst the crowd. What looked like a giant monster was standing in the middle of Marunouchi Plaza.

"It's probably just a projection," Hakura pulled her brother away from the window.

"Uh... right," Hayato responded sheepishly. On the inside, however, he was panicking. _Did the Black Bullet Train come through here without me noticing? Or is that thing really just a projection?_ he thought.

Once they were in their seats, Hakura pulled up the video on her tablet.

"Alright, here's the video. I can't watch it, so you're on your own."

### 

Ivy was sitting in front of a large computer, with multiple broadcasts set up for different dates. Seiryu had his own idea and was sitting in the corner with multiple digital windows open. He remembered that he had learned how to copy memories from people. Genbu was the one who taught him this, although he denied doing so.

"So, what were you planning on doing?" Ivy asked.

"Memory copying. Memories have emotions attached to them."

"And where did you learn that?"

"Genbu taught me."

"I don't remember him being able to do that."

Seiryu just shrugged and selected an area. He had copied the ID of the tablet from the girl at the theater. Copying memories never did any harm.

Just as he started the process, something glitched out. His broadcast overlapped with a prerecorded one.

### 

Hakura's tablet had glitched out. The entire _train_ glitched out. By the time the systems had kicked out whatever was causing the glitch, people had blacked out. That included the train conductor. The track was shut down, people were evacuated, and Hakura was questioned.

"I was having my brother watch a video I recorded. It was the tail end of Æsir-FEST," Hakura explained.

"I see. So, according to the tracking system, your tablet was hacked, and through your tablet, the hacker obtained access to the train."

"That makes sense. Is there anything else I have to do?"

"As of now, no. You're free to leave. And please, be careful."


	15. Group Chat Part 3

**Discord 2.0**

_**Minceraft** has added **Railfan** and **Akita** to the chat._

Railfan: Hi

Minceraft: ladies gents and nons  
Minceraft: my friends from school

Dorime: Welcome to hell

Tanuki_Girl: Wait I'm adding my friends too

yahaha: oh boy

RaviolisGaleioli: Wait a second

_**Tanuki_Girl** has added **JoeJoestar** , **Mizusaki_Tsubame** , and **PARKER_MIC** to the chat._

yahaha: This chat has gone wacko

PARKER_MIC: Who says 'wacko' anymore?

Carrot: @PARKER_MIC It's ROBO!

PARKER_MIC: Nice

Dorime: WELCOME TO HELL

Railfan: You said that already

Dorime: I'LL SAY IT AGAIN

JoeJoestar: no need, thank you very much

Akita: I wake up at 7 in the morning to THIS?

Minceraft: ye

Railfan: Should I add Azusa

Minceraft: nO GOD PLEASE NO

Akita: Do it for hell's sake

Railfan: Ill add her and my sister later

Tanuki_Girl: Waht in the world lol

yahaha: Also it's 9 AM, not 7 AM

Akita: What the heck

Minceraft: good fucking morning welcome to normal school weekends

Railfan: Im going to leave before my mom notices that  
Railfan: Not the entire chat but

Minceraft: oh mb

JoeJoestar: Does anyone else have anyone to add to this chat?

yahaha: I'll have to ask my friends if they want to, but yeah

Akita: Okay so what the heck  
Akita: @RaviolisGaleioli is someone I know in real life  
Akita: Apparently @PARKER_MIC is an iM music producer  
Akita: And there's ROBO

JoeJoestar: Any more groundbreaking realizations?

Minceraft: hol up who's @Mizusaki_Tsubame  
Minceraft: rhetorical question btw

Akita: I can't even spell rhetorical

Minceraft: well now you can

yahaha: You're going to have more groundbreaking realizations once I get permission to add my friends

Tanuki_Girl: Looking forward to the chaos

AstroBoy: That's a lot of notifications.

Dorime: Welcome to hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The only chat chapters that will appear here are plot-related ones. Here's the link to the group chat spin-off: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27783148/chapters/68014015


	16. Playing Detective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Eizouken try and make sense of the recent happenings.

Kanamori Sayaka had gathered the rest of the Eizouken to watch the news. Two specific bulletins had caught her attention.

"You all saw the news yesterday and went through the chat logs. There was the N700A shinkansen security breach, and there was the monster sighting in Marunouchi plaza," Sayaka said, "Both of which happened within 45 minutes of each other."

"What are we now, detectives?" Doumeki Parker asked sarcastically.

"Look at the group chat. If anything, we're obligated to help," Sayaka explained.

"Maybe the kaiju projection was a distraction?" suggested Midori.

"Was it a projection, though? It didn't have any transparency," Tsubame commented, "And wasn't there a person on top of the plaza dome before the monster showed up?"

"Alright, what's the verdict? Was it real or fake?" Sayaka rolled her eyes.

"I say it's real," Midori contradicted.

"Of course you do, but there's no way it was. The rest of them weren't, either," Parker sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Looking at the evidence, it must be real," said Sayaka as she inspected the footage.

"What, you too?" Parker jeered.

"Look at it! Everything checks out! It's not a CYTUS-based illusion at all!"

"Moving on, what about the train?" Tsubame changed the subject, "Whether the monster was real or not doesn't mean it couldn't have been a distraction."

"But why would they hack the train? What did they even do? That 'Railfan' kid said he passed out," Midori put out.

"He nor most of the people who passed out didn't have one of those behind-the-ear things. Glitches and hacks that make directly connected people pass out are to be expected. This hack made close to everyone on the train pass out," analyzed Sayaka.

"...Didn't he say the hack went through his sister's tablet? Maybe the tablet had something to do with the security breach?"

"I'll ask and find out."

**Discord 2.0**

JoeJoestar: @Railfan

Railfan: Yes?

JoeJoestar: Did the train hack have anything to do with your sister's tablet?

Railfan: I don't think so?  
Railfan: Let me ask her

JoeJoestar: PM me when you get more info

"He's going to ask. I'll tell you when he gets back to me," explained Sayaka.

"Alright. Let's look at the hack itself. Was any data stolen?" Midori asked.

"The government has kept the security breach under wraps. Nobody has said that anything was stolen online, so probably not."

"Maybe it was focused on one person? Maybe the sister?"

"That's a possibility. Hey, why not have Robo look into it?"

"I'm not asking him if that's what you're planning," Parker scoffed.

"Alright, fine. I'll ask him myself."

**Discord 2.0**

Tanuki_Girl: @Carrot

Carrot: Yes?

Tanuki_Girl: Any info on the N700A hack? We're doing some detective work.

Carrot: N700A security breach investigation is already underway.  
Carrot: Wait for an iM post about progress.

Tanuki_Girl: Sure thing

"He's already working on it."

"Well, now it's just a waiting game," Sayaka said as she cracked her knuckles.

"At least we got _somewhere_ ," Tsubame shrugged.

"Guys, Robo's iM post just came out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This plot is thickening like gravy. Please check out some of my other works if you have the time! I'm not very good at writing, but I have the free version of Grammarly. That helps a lot.
> 
> EDIT: Y'all want headcanons? I got lots of headcanons.


	17. Weakness

Byakko was sitting at the grand piano stored in Genbu's warehouse. Why it was here was anyone's guess, but he wasn't one to complain. He was playing a few songs and waiting for Genbu to get back from whatever he was out doing. Ivy had convinced him to not go back and fight a second time, but that didn't stop him from leaving whenever he wanted to.

"Byakko."

Genbu's sudden appearance startled Byakko. He braced himself on the piano, playing a handful of stray notes.

"...Genbu," he looked over at his teammate.

"You added me to a group chat."

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Did you look at the chat?"

"...No."

"Then go look at it," Byakko sighed and went back to playing the piano.

"I might. ...I found some strange audio files... Nevermind."

"Huh?" Byakko turned back to where Genbu was standing, but he was already gone.

### 

"Weakness... Huh," Seiryu thought aloud.

"Hm?" Ivy looked over her shoulder.

"Suzaku had said something about finding a human's weakness."

"Well, all humans have weaknesses. They vary from person to person. Just like us, except much more noticeably."

"I'll have to do a bit of research for Suzaku then," Seiryu shrugged. He searched for the event that Suzaku was planning on... attending. It was a Super Spice X Paff concert, which had a wide variety of people attending. ...Paff was one of the people that attended Æsir-FEST, according to that girl. Maybe he could make use of that. Seiryu searched up Æsir-FEST in iM posts. He found one that NEKO#ΦωΦ had posted.

NEKO#ΦωΦ: NEKO's never seen something so stupid (OωO)  
Æsir standing everyone up was a big deal lol  
Yet still so many idiots speak up for him  
Man world's full of hypocrites lul  
NEKO has nothing against him lolol  
But comments, feel free to murder him  
\--------------------------------  
NEKOSAIKOU: Fanboys and fangirls, commence hate-mail lol  
KirinKiraKira: I never liked him. How do you like someone with no face lulz  
NEKO#ΦωΦ: Pfffft No......Face.....Bwahahahahaaa @ROBO_Head @Xenon @Sparrowling  
ROBO_Head: Saftey Concerns. : )  
Xenon: ......  
Sparrowling: I've shown my face a few times. Look harder.  
Arianaya: I thought it was canceled due to problems with the venue?  
EvilForce: No it wasn't canceled, the warm-up performances did go through  
Lynx87: ~~Æsir's music is way better than yours~~ **[THIS USER HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY BANNED]**  
D33mo: Baited lolol  
w_Rosabel_w: Used to listen to his songs a lot. But deleted them after he scammed everybody.  
Smurky: Never heard of him. Is he famous?  
FCodex: Æsir and NEKO have completely different styles it's pointless to compare them.  
MirriLL: The songs are pretty nice, but I did not go to Æsir-FEST  
Noposa: Agreed, songs are nice  
Talus_Alpha: It's because of the blackout, right?  
Poopytrap: I get an urge to puke every time I think about it, anyone has the same problem? : Q  
Zigzag: Is it so bad that you want to puke ROFL  
C_H_U: I attended it; I was completely fooled!!!!  
NekoSamurai: The whole thing ended after Robohead's performance, the crowd went on a complete riot XD

"So everyone has a different memory of Æsir-FEST? Interesting..." Seiryu muttered.

"What about Æsir-FEST?" Daito asked.

"I swear you get the 'sneaking up on people' thing from Genbu."

"Oh, sorry. But, what about Æsir-FEST?"

"Everyone remembers it differently, but there's one constant: Æsir didn't show up."

"Huh. Interesting. You think they chickened out?"

"That's not the point. If Suzaku plays one of Æsir's songs, everyone's gonna have a freakout."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because it's their weakness."

### 

On the other side of the door, someone was listening. He had heard the entire conversation. And he knew what to do next.

Genbu silently walked away, planning on doing his own research. Even if he was the only one who remembered anything, this was an opportunity he could not miss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another post after a short hiatus. I can't type all of NEKO#ΦωΦ's special characters lol


	18. Interrogation or Conversation

_Direct Chat with: Firefly_

Burnt_Rice: Meet me at the theater again

Firefly: sure  
Firefly: Wait what that's you

Burnt_Rice: I'll explain when we meet up

"So... How'd you know that was me?" Seiryu asked, watching the girl work her way through multiple digital files.

"Made an A.I. to dig through some security camera feeds a while ago. Saw the group chat in a holo tab while you were out. My name is Hakura, by the way," she explained.

"Well, Hakura, I'm Seiryu."

"I have a few questions, but you don't have to answer all of them."

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Do you know anything about Æsir-FEST? Or just Æsir?"

"No comment."

"Well, alright. I saw you working in some sort of music comp software. I'm just curious what that was all about."

"I can sync up vocals and individual instruments, but I can't play an instrument myself. I was putting together something my friend made."

"You ever think of offering that as a service online? I've seen a lot of people complain on iM and stuff."

"I've been thinking about that. I might."

"Hey! Kid! Your old man tell you why he's not showing up anymore?" one of the theater staff yelled.

"No, I haven't seen him. He does that sometimes," Seiryu responded.

"Well, tell him to get back ASAP."

"Alright. He's probably back in Node 4 or something."

"...Node 4? That's way down south!"

"Yeah... that's where we're from, sort of."

"Sort of?" Hakura asked.

"It's... A long story... Anyway, did you hear about the concert going on in Odaiba later this week?" he quickly changed the subject.

"Yep. Didn't know you were a fan."

"Not really, I just like concerts. A friend of mine - the same one that had me put together his music - is a Paff fan, so I'm just going with him."

"I see. …I think something happened backstage. Look," Hakura pointed at the stage. The staff were sorting through what looked like cleaning supplies.

"I'll go help them. I'm not sure if you're allowed backstage."

"That's fine. I didn't tell my mom I was leaving, so she's probably worried about me," Hakura said as she stood up.

"Alright. see you around, then."

"See ya."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Continued in OS logs.


	19. Car Accident

Hakura had been thinking for a long while about the accident. It's not her fault. The cat ran into the street, and she tried to stop it. No, the truck didn't stop. It was the truck driver's fault for not stopping. That's all that it was. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and her brother got hurt for it. That's all that it was.

"Hakura? We're here," Akita appeared in the doorway. Just as he was about to enter the hospital room, Tsuranuki pushed past him.

"Hayato! ... Oh, he's not awake yet..." Tsuranuki collided with the hospital bed.

"Not yet. Only partially awake. I think he can hear us," Hakura mumbled, "but I'm not too sure. ...You alright, Akita?"

"Yes. Why?" Akita's head snapped up, seemingly having forgotten that he wasn't alone.

"You look nervous and stuff."

"I had a bad experience in a hospital once. That's all."

"Oh." Hakura looked back down at the floor.

The silence hung in the air, thick as molasses. It was broken once the nurse stepped inside the room. The nurse informed them that there were visitors that needed the room cleared. The trio were promptly ushered out of the room.

"We just got here..." Tsuranuki complained.

"Nothing you can do. ...I wonder if Mr. Hayasugi is headed here now..." Akita wondered out loud.

"Dad said he was gonna catch the next train here. I dunno what train he got on. That'd be a question for Hayato, I guess." Hakura was still staring at the hospital room door.

A white-haired girl materialized in the hallway. She was carrying a long sword that was tied to a strip of cloth being used as a belt.

"Who're you?" Tsuranuki asked.

"NightmareHawk. Just call me Hawk. Azusa sent me in her stead. I tried to get her to go, but she's stuck near the art school a friend of mine goes to," Hawk shrugged.

"What the heck are they doing over there!?"

"Streaming, I guess. Neko did a joint stream with Azusa and two other people. Anyway, not important. Azusa said nothing about the kid other than that his name is Hayato. Someone fill me in."

"He's my brother. He got run over by a delivery truck earlier. He's in a coma and stuff," Hakura explained.

"I see. Hey, weren't you two on the news a while ago?"

"Yeah..."

"Alright, I won't talk about it."

"Why do you have a sword?" Akita asked.

"Security reasons. I just got off of work. Go through my iM posts if you're desperate," Hawk jeered.

"I don't see why you would need to bring it to a hospital."

"Look, Mr. Dead Fish Eyes, if you take offense to me carrying a sword around, then TOO BAD. I'm not going all the way to Yokohama and back JUST TO PUT MY SWORD AWAY. So fucking DEAL WITH IT."

"Forget him, he's a pain in the ass sometimes. That sword is pretty cool. Can I see?" Tsuranuki waved off Akita and stood up.

"Pfft, sure. Here," Hawk pulled the sword off of her belt and handed it to the boy. Upon letting go, Tsuranuki fell to the floor under the sword's weight.

"What the hell... What's this thing made of!?"

"High-carbon steel. It's just really wide. It's like if you combined an axe and a sword," Hawk smirked.

A hospital security guard promptly told Hawk to put her sword away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter seemed so slow to write, which is why it took a long time to come out. NightmareHawk and Hawk are like 2 different personalities for her. You'll find out her legal name later. I picture her sword as one like this, but without the serrated part (the diagram on the far left): https://houseki-no-kuni.fandom.com/wiki/Weapons?file=AntarctWeaponRef.jpg  
>  ~~Akita has dead fish eyes and you cannot convince me otherwise~~


End file.
